Question: Two identical rectangular crates are packed with cylindrical pipes, using different methods. Each pipe has diameter $10\text{ cm}.$ A side view of the first four rows of each of the two different methods of packing is shown below.

[asy]
draw(circle((1,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((3,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((5,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((7,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((9,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((11,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((13,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((15,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((17,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((19,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((1,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((3,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((5,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((7,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((9,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((11,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((13,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((15,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((17,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((19,3),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((1,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((3,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((5,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((7,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((9,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((11,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((13,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((15,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((17,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((19,5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((1,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((3,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((5,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((7,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((9,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((11,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((13,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((15,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((17,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((19,7),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw((0,15)--(0,0)--(20,0)--(20,15),black+linewidth(1));
dot((10,9));
dot((10,11));
dot((10,13));
label("Crate A",(10,0),S);
[/asy]

[asy]
draw(circle((1,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((3,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((5,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((7,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((9,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((11,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((13,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((15,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((17,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((19,1),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((2,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((4,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((6,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((8,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((10,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((12,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((14,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((16,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((18,2.75),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((1,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((3,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((5,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((7,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((9,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((11,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((13,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((15,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((17,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((19,4.5),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((2,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((4,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((6,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((8,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((10,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((12,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((14,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((16,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((18,6.25),1),black+linewidth(1));
draw((0,15)--(0,0)--(20,0)--(20,15),black+linewidth(1));
dot((10,9));
dot((10,11));
dot((10,13));
label("Crate B",(10,0),S);
[/asy]

Three pipes from Crate $B$ are shown.  Determine the height, $h,$ of this pile of $3$ pipes.

[asy]
draw(circle((10,10),10),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((30,10),10),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((20,27.5),10),black+linewidth(1));
draw((50,0)--(50,37.5),black+linewidth(1));
draw((49,0)--(51,0),black+linewidth(1));
draw((49,37.5)--(51,37.5),black+linewidth(1));
label("$h$",(50,0)--(50,37.5),E);
[/asy]
Solution: Join the centres $A,$ $B,$ and $C$ of the three circles. The lines $AB,$ $BC,$ and $CA$ will pass through the points where the circles touch, so will each have length $10\text{ cm}$ (that is, twice the radius of one of the circles).

We can break the height of the pile into three pieces: the distance from the bottom of the pile to the line $BC,$ the height of the equilateral triangle $ABC,$ and the distance $A$ to the top of the pile.

[asy]
draw(circle((10,10),10),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((30,10),10),black+linewidth(1));
draw(circle((20,27.5),10),black+linewidth(1));
draw((-10,0)--(50,0),black+linewidth(1));
draw((-10,37.5)--(50,37.5),black+linewidth(1));
draw((53,0)--(53,37.5),black+linewidth(1));
draw((52,0)--(54,0),black+linewidth(1));
draw((52,37.5)--(54,37.5),black+linewidth(1));
label("$h$",(53,0)--(53,37.5),E);
draw((10,10)--(30,10)--(20,27.5)--cycle,black+linewidth(1));
draw((10,10)--(10,0),black+linewidth(1));
draw((20,27.5)--(20,37.5),black+linewidth(1));
label("$A$",(20,27.5),W);
label("$B$",(10,10),W);
label("$C$",(30,10),E);
label("5",(10,10)--(10,0),E);
label("5",(20,27.5)--(20,37.5),E);
[/asy]

The first and last of these distances are each equal to the radius of one of the circles, that is, $5\text{ cm}.$ So we must determine the height of $\triangle ABC,$ which is an equilateral triangle with side length $10\text{ cm}.$ There are many ways to do this. Drop a perpendicular from $A$ to $P$ on $BC.$ Since $AB = AC,$ we know that $P$ is the midpoint of $BC,$ so $BP=5\text{ cm}.$

[asy]
draw((0,0)--(10,0)--(5,8.6603)--cycle,black+linewidth(1));
draw((5,0)--(5,8.6603),black+linewidth(1));
draw((5,0)--(4.5,0)--(4.5,0.5)--(5,0.5)--cycle,black+linewidth(1));
label("$A$",(5,8.6603),N);
label("$B$",(0,0),W);
label("$C$",(10,0),E);
label("$P$",(5,0),S);
label("5",(0,0)--(5,0),S);
label("10",(0,0)--(5,8.6603),NW);
[/asy]

Then $\triangle ABP$ is a $30^\circ$-$60^\circ$-$90^\circ$ triangle, so $AP=\sqrt{3}BP=5\sqrt{3}\text{ cm}.$ Thus, the height of the pile is $$5 + 5\sqrt{3} + 5 = \boxed{10 + 5\sqrt{3}}\text{ cm.}$$